JA- 


>     A 

'" 

- 

■  ■ 

y^f 

1 

B3jOCKABS~ROT]  V 


5 


"f:\ 


z 


,..' 


w 


v^- 


pk 


:;#/ 


>■ 


v 


/  <-,■ 


^\ 


'■&■ 


/ 


••* 


-  -     - 


i 

4 


m 


■ 


V 


\ 


*  v 


Mr 


';%\) 


*k 


V 


l"  - 

•*r 


Hi 


THE  LIBRARY  OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF 

NORTH  CAROLINA 


THE  COLLECTION  OF 
NORTH  CAROLINIANA 

Transferred  from  Department 
of  Archives  and  History 

Cp970.75 

0U8 

c.2 


"0  4- 

C  v  7 


BLOCKADE-RUNNING 


BY 


State  of  North  Carolina, 


1363--'64. 


WILLIAM  H.  OLIVER, 

NEWBERN,  N.  C. 


BLOCKADE-RUNNING 

By  the  State  of  ITorth  Carolina, 

1863-'G4. 


Xewbern,  N.  C,  September  1st,  1895. 
James  Spruit,  Esq.: —  • 

Early  in  1863  I  was  commissioned  by  Gov.  Z.  B.  Vance, 
an  agent  for  the  State  of  North  Carolina  to  purchase  Cotton  for 
Blockade-running  purposes.  The  instruction  which  I  received 
through  Major  John  Devereux,  Quarter  Master  Gen.  for  N.  C, 
was  to  buy  every  bale  of  Cotton  that  I  could  purchase,  and  to 
pay  a  stipulated  price  of  twenty  cents  per  pound.  I  went  at 
once  to  the  sections  nearest  the  Federal  lines  so  as  to  get  all  the 
Cotton  out  of  the  reach  of  the  Federal  troops  if  a  raid  should  be 
made  by  them. 

In  a  short  time  I  purchased  about  seven  thousand  bales  and 
paid  for  the  same  about  Seven  Hundred  Thousand  Dollars.  On 
account  of  the  scarcity  of  Rail  Road  accommodation  it  was  a 
tedious  matter  to  get  the  Cotton  moved. 

Arrangements  had  been  made  to  ship  the  Cotton  as  fast  as 
possible  by  running  it  through  the  blockade  at  Wilmington,  N. 
C.  A  large  part  of  the  Cotton  was  taken  to  Graham,  N.  C,  it 
being  unsafe  to  leave  it  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  State. 

Mr.  John  White  of  Warrenton,  N.  C.  was  appointed  agent 
for  the  sale  of  it  in  England.  Mr.  White  sailed  from  Charleston, 
S.  C.  on  the  steamer  Leopard  on  the  15th  day  of  November  1862. 
A  number  of  cargoes  were  shipped  to  him  and  from  a  report  of 
his  to  Gov.  Vance,  it  will  be  seen  that  he  purchased  with  the 
proceeds  of  Cotton  and  N.  C.  Cotton  Bonds — 


The  steamship  Lord  Clyde  afterwards  known  as  the  Advance,  at 

a  cost  of  £35.000  §175.000. 

150.115  yards  Grey  Cloth  6-4  wide, 

11.023       "         "         "      3-4      " 

28.582       "         "Flannel  6-4      " 

■  *  83.173       "         "         "      3-4      "  ' 

2.978      "     Brown  Canvass-Padding. 

25.887  pair  Grey  Blankets. 

37.092     "     Woolen  Socks. 

26.096  .  "     Army  Shoes. 

.530     "     Cavalry  Boots. 

1.956  Angola  Shirts. 

7.872  yards  Grev  Flannel  Shirts. 

1.006  CJoth  Overcoats. 

1.002      "      Jackets. 

1.010  pairs  cloth  Trousers. 

Quantity  of  Sole  and  Harness  Leather. 

20,000  pair  Army  Shoes. 

10,000     "     Grey  Blankets. 

1,920     "     Flannel  Shirts. 

5,800  yards  Army  Cloth  6-4. 

10,000     " 

7,000  pairs  Cotton  and  Wool  Cards. 

•  5  machines  for  making  Cotton  Cards  with 
wire  sufficient  to  keep  them  running  12 
months. 

A  large  quantity  of  the  Cotton  was  delivered  by  order  of 
Gov.  Vance  to  Messrs  John  JNTewlan  &  Sons,  at  Saxapahawee  Fac- 
tory to  be  manufactured  into  Cloth  and  Yarn.  The  cloth  was 
delivered  to  the  Quarter  Master  for  the  use  of  the  army  and  the 
yarn  was  exchanged  in  Virginia  for  leather,  which  was  made  in- 
to shoes.  The  card  machines  were  put  up  in  Mr.  William  H. 
Willard's  Factory,  and  a  large  number  of  pairs  of  cards  were  made 
and  distributed  by  me  all  over  the  State. 

At  the  close  of  the  war  about  200  bales  of  the  Cotton  was 
at  Graham,  1ST.  C.  and  it  Avas  taken  by  Col.  D.  Heaton  of  the  U. 
S.  Treasury  Department. 

Very  Respectfully, 
p  3<t~7*f  William  H.  Oliver. 


UNIVERSITY  OF  N.C.  AT  CHAPEL  HILL 


00032744371 


This  book  must  not 
be  taken  from  the 
Library  building. 


■ct 


V 


■•y 


Sv — ' 


*** 


>K 


■<"■ 


.>*• 


•*1 


^ 


yv.:; 


V* 


-rk 


